Saturday, March 12, 2016

Holy Door Pilgrimage

Our Lady of Lourdes has been designated by Bishop Lennon to be a site of pilgrimage that has the Official Holy Door!

Bishop Lennon opens the Holy Door. The rituals of opening Holy Doors for holy years date as far back as 1499 when a wooden door was opened by Pope Alexander VI on Christmas Eve, beginning the Holy Year 1500. Most recently the new millennium was celebrated as a Jubilee Year in 2000. http://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/holydooropening/

As you know, this is a year of jubilee and a Year of Mercy for the Church. The Holy Door is a means of reconciling with the Lord. An indulgence is spiritually bestowed upon the person who walks through the door and fulfills other obligations. See more information about these indulgences here.

Bishop Lennon will be at the Shrine on Sunday, April 3, 2016 (Mercy Sunday) for a 10:00am Mass at which, he will officially open the Holy Door at the Shrine. Our Chapel can only hold a limited amount of people for the Mass and admission is by ticket only, however all tickets have been granted. Everyone is welcome to come on Sunday, April 3rd in the afternoon or at anytime during this Year of Mercy, visit the Shrine, and walk through the Holy Door.